1

2
Table of Contents
Classroom Layout

Page 4

Physical Description of Classroom

Page 5

Desk Arrangement

Page 5

Technology

Page 6

Bulletin Boards

Page 7

Learning Centers / Small Group Work Areas

Page 9

Classroom Operations

Page 9

Record-Keeping Procedures

Page 9

New Students

Page 10

Classroom Organization

Page 11

Classroom Materials

Page 13

Displaying Student Work

Page 14

Substitute Teachers

Page 15

Establishment of Group Rules and Expectations Page 16

Consequences for Breaking Class Rules

Page 17

Minor Infractions

Page 17

Intermediate Infractions

Page 18

Extreme Infractions

Page 18

Cheating

Page 18

Offending / Insulting Other Students

Page 18

3
Professionalism in the Workplace

Page 19

Gossip

Page 19

Disagreement with Colleague

Page 20

Disagreement with Principal

Page 20

Room Helpers / Jobs

Page 20

Handing in Papers

Page 21

Activities for Early Finishers

Page 21

Signaling the Teacher

Page 22

Passing out Papers

Page 22

Dismissals from Room

Page 23

Leaving the Room

Page 23

Students Who Need Additional Help

Page 24

Students Who Need Additional Challenges

Page 24

Communication with Parents

Page 25

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Page 25

Miss DeWeerdts Second Grade

Classroom Layout

5
Description of Physical Classroom
Desk Arrangement
The desks are set-up in rows as this is a good way to help the students get to know one
another at the very beginning of the school year. It does not force the students to cooperate in
table groups at this point in time due to the fact that neither I nor the students will know exactly
who the students will cooperate best with. Therefore, the rows will exist until the personalities of
the students have been personally observed. In
this format, each student also has their own
personal desk as well as their own personal
space. Depending on the home situation of the
student, this may be one of the only areas in
their life that is truly theirs and students can
truly feel this connection due to the fact that the
desks have not yet been arranged into table
formats. Later in the year, after the students have
already claimed their desk as their own, it
becomes easier to transition into a table format of desk arrangements. It is also important to
remember that the desk arrangements will change at least once a month in order to ensure that
each student is able to learn in the best way possible for them.
The teacher desk has been placed in the corner of the room in order to be able to view the
entire room while still being able to do necessary work. The desk would actually be turned in
order to face more into the center of the room, but sadly the
technology was not available to make this necessary change.
Surrounding the teacher desk would be various storage units,
including but not limited to filing cabinets, shelving units, and a
large cabinet. By having multiple types of storage units, it is
possible to store all necessary materials, be they papers, books,
personal belongings, or binders.
Right near the teacher desk, a semi-circular table will be
placed for small group work. The placement of this table allows
me to keep an eye on what is happening in the classroom during
small group work, but it is still separated enough to keep the students doing small group work
from being distracted by the other students. Since the students at the table would need to turn
completely around in order to see the rest of the class, it is extremely obvious that they are doing
so and it makes it easier to get their attention back on the task at hand. It also provides a spot for
any paraprofessionals or other special instruction teachers to work with specific students without

6
being completely separated from the rest of the class. Since it is at the front of the room as well
as next to the teacher desk, it is possible to get my attention easily should something go wrong or
to point out a student performing exceptionally well.
The students will also have a storage center, ideally consisting of double-stacked cubbies
with hooks for coats/backpacks underneath. While this particular area of the classroom is truly
dependent upon the school, district, or regions
abilities to provide such storage, it is essential that
the students have a place, beyond their desk, that
they can call their own. The double-stacked cubbies
with the hooks underneath are ideal because they
provide the students with a place to hang any items
that need to be hanged as well as providing a, small,
area to place any objects which they wish to leave
at school but do not
want to keep in their
desk, such as a sweatshirt or books. Keeping the backpacks and
coats within the room also makes transitions to recess and leaving
for the day run more efficiently and smoothly. The students will
also have their own personal mailbox which is where they will
place all papers that they want to take home throughout the day.
The mailbox is also where any important communications from
myself or the school will be placed in order to make the
communication process as efficient as possible. At the end of each
day, the students will be dismissed to remove their papers from
their mailbox and place them within their backpack.

Technology
Also available for student use will be several computers. As being able to use computers
is now a vital skill for students, in regards to typing and research in particular, it is imperative to
have computers available. However, they have been placed behind the students desks so that
they cannot be distracted by any other students
using the computer during classwork time,
whether it is due to an IEP or for extended
learning opportunities. Other technology to be
included in the classroom includes a TV and a
projector. The TV is not a necessity, however
there are lots of educational videos available to
be viewed on DVDs and VHSs which can help

7
to enhance student learning, particularly for more visual students. The projector allows
powerpoints or other digital media to be presented to the class in a way that enables all students
to see the material. Again, the use of technology is an increasingly more important skill and
therefore the students need to have as much exposure to it as possible in order to fully understand
each aspect of technology that they may need to work with in the future.

Bulletin Boards
The bulletin boards are places that need to be utilized fully in order to promote a positive
learning environment in any classroom. Therefore, they will be friendly and welcoming as well
as attempt to make connections to the students. Some examples are included below:

9
Learning Centers / Small Group Work Areas
Another important aspect of the classroom design is the round activity tables placed
throughout the area between the students desks and the reading nook because these tables
provide the opportunity for various differentiation options. Whenever the class needs to
differentiate amongst reading or math or another subjects ability levels, each table can have an
activity that will help particular groups to increase their abilities. These tables can also be used as
interest centers for a particular topic. Each table
would have a different activity related to that
topic, preferably from a different subject area.
These tables can also be used as additional seating
for students who still need to be a part of the large
group instruction but are being distracted by
sitting amongst their fellow students.
The final, main, aspect of the classroom is
the reading nook. In order to foster the sense that
reading is a fun and interesting activity, the
reading nook will contain a sofa and/or
comfortable chairs in order to make the students
relax while spending time there. They will be
surrounded by bookshelves which will contain
books from all ranges of subjects, genres, and
reading levels so that each student can select
books that they enjoy reading. One entire shelving
unit will be dedicated to storing the books that the
students personally choose to read at a later time,
stored in tubs or separated by bookends (or a similar item). Each student will have a designated
spot on the shelf and they will be able to fill their tub or section of the shelf with any books that
they want from the classroom library.

Classroom Operations
Record-Keeping Procedures
One of the most important aspects of being a teacher is keeping accurate records of the
progress that students have made throughout the year. I would use both an electronic and hardcopy version of a record book in order to ensure that the information ought to not ever be lost.
The electronic version would have every single grade for every single assignment within it,
which would include any test, assignment, participation, etc. scores while the hard-copy would

10
be updated approximately once a week to show the overall points that the
student received through that week. In this way, it would be possible to both
show individual grades to parents, particularly if these can be uploaded so the
parents can view them, as well as a less-specific version that can physically be
displayed. The majority of the assignments would simply be graded based on
completion that is to say that a student will receive a mark for having turned
in their assignment that would look like while a perfectly completed
assignment, whether it was completed the first time the assignment was turned
in or after some retries, would be a + . Any retries would show up in an
additional column of the grade book. In this way, it would be easy to see which
students had turned in their assignments as well as which students are
understanding the material. Each student would also have their own individual
page in the grade book, as opposed to a column, so that the student can be
given as detailed of grades / information as is necessary for that students
personal growth to be demonstrated. In this way, each and every students part
of the grade book would look completely different from any other students and it will be easier
to see which subjects and/or topics the student has been struggling to understand (Wong, Harry
K., and Rosemary T. Wong. Pages 137 145).

New Students
Making new students feel comfortable in a
classroom is a crucial part of being a classroom teacher.
Whether the student joins two weeks into the year or with
two weeks left in the year, they must feel welcomed and
included in their new classroom environment. In order to
make sure the student feels as though they have not missed
out on the topics previously discussed in class, I will make
several extra copies of each assignment completed in every
subject area and place these in separate binders. Each binder
will then have a complete record of every assignment
completed up until the day that the student arrives in the
class. After the student has been in the classroom for a week
or so, I would hand them the binder of all of the material
they missed and ask them to show it to their parents. I
would then ask the parents to send a note back with any
topic areas they have questions about and/or do not believe
their student had covered in their previous classroom. This would provide me with a place to
start instruction for the student and make sure that they are able to handle the material currently

11
being worked on in class. This method would also inform me if the student is ahead of where my
class is currently. Either way, I will then be able to differentiate for this student in order to make
sure they are receiving the necessary information.
As the student will be coming in later in the year, after the desks have been arranged into
table groups, I will talk with the students at the table group about our new student prior to their
arrival. This talk will include information about where the student is from, any interesting facts
the family has given me after contacting them, etc. The other students at the group will then be
able to make the new student feel more comfortable due to their knowledge of the student as well
as understanding that that is expectation of them they must make the new student comfortable
in their new classroom. I will also pick a particular student who I think will make the student feel
most comfortable as their unacknowledged buddy in the classroom. That is to say, I would
make sure that the new student and their buddy are together fairly frequently for the first couple
of weeks, through spots in line or spot on the carpet or some other not-very-obvious method,
without either student knows that this is what is happening. This will help to prevent either
student from being embarrassed about having or being a buddy.

Classroom Organization
How the classroom is organized, and how it is kept neat, ought to be of more concern
than it currently is due to the fact that classrooms are generally judged based on how it looks to
someone looking in. That means that the classroom must make sense and unnecessary materials
must be filed away in an organized manner. One thing that is important to note is that wellintentioned organizational starts to the year do not always end up in a similar manner by the time
the first quarter, or even month, of the school year is over. Therefore, I would set aside one day
each month for a full classroom overhaul. I would make sure it was on a Friday so that the
students would be able to organize their desks at a specified time while I would begin work on
the classroom so that the students have a positive example to follow. However, at the end of the
day, I would make sure that the entire classroom had been reorganized and, if I have not yet
completed the reorganization, I would make sure to come in on Saturday to finish.
Successful organization within the classroom means having a plan in place ahead of time that
is easy to begin and easy to follow through with. It is also necessary in every aspect of the
classroom, from classroom materials to recordkeeping to books. However, it is also important to
note that while there are many good organization ideas in existence, it can be challenging to
determine exactly which ideas are feasible until they are actually tested. That being said, I have
found several organizational techniques that I believe I could use successfully in my room as
displayed and described below:

12
1. Using a sweater holder to organize construction paper,
or magazines, or a similar paper-based item. This
makes it possible for the paper to lay flat, particularly
if it is placed in plastic tubs, while also lending the
possibility of placing these items nearly anywhere in
the classroom. This is due to the fact that the sweater
holder can be hung up and string can be hung from
just about anywhere in most classrooms.
2. A great use for plastic bins / tubs is for storing games
along with all of the game pieces. As
long as the bins / tubs can easily be
removed from whatever the main storage unit is, it will be easy for the
students to take out the games and play without losing all of the pieces.
A similar idea can also be used for any kinds of manipulatives, toys,
books, etc. that may benefit from this system.
3. In order to make grading papers / finding them as efficient as
possible, labeled, or
simply different,
binder clips can be
extremely helpful. The best part is that
you can always add additional colors
or labels as becomes necessary
throughout the school year. It can be
challenging to estimate exactly what
labels or how many colors will be
necessary to use, as in how many
different piles may exist, at the very
start. One thing that could be contemplated would be to create a binder clip for each
student which would make creating a portfolio of a students work, such as in preparation
for parent-teacher conferences, far more efficient.
4. One way that keeps students responsible for the
organization of the classroom is to post pictures of
how different areas of the classroom ought to look
while neat. This can be as small as a single tub or
could involve an entire shelving unit. The premise of
this concept is to place some responsibility on the
shoulders of the students and not allowing them to
leave until every area of the classroom looks the same

13
as the pictures. This can also be turned into a game of sorts with table groups competing
to see who can organize the most sections before class ends.
5. Another use of plastic bins is for
sorting out papers into different
categories. There can be as many
categories as desired, so I would use
To Grade, To Copy, To Return,
To File, For Portfolio, and
possibly a couple extras, depending on
what I found to be necessary. Students
would be able to place their completed
assignments into the To Grade tub
while the student responsible for
handing out papers would take them
out of the To Return tub. This is a
great way to involve the students in a
very easy organizational system while keeping my desk free of too many papers.
There are other various ways that a classroom can be organized and use organizational
techniques. As long as the organizational system remains consistent from the beginning of the
school year, it is easy to remain organized and not lose important items. However, it is also
important to note that part of being organized is acknowledging what works and what does not. I
have not personally tried any of the methods listed above, and I have several more ideas as to
decent organizational techniques not currently listed, so I cannot say for sure whether or not
these methods would work the best for me. However, I think they are certainly feasible and I
would definitely want to try and use them.

Classroom Materials
There will be various items available for classroom use, from pencils to markers to
scissors, basically any type of utensil that a student may
need throughout the school day. Keeping track of these
materials can be challenging and requires a completely
different method of organization than those mentioned
above. I will have separate jars for sharpened and
unsharpened pencils. To use these, students will drop off a
dull pencil in the Unsharpened Pencils jar and pick up a
fresh one from the Sharpened Pencils jar. This cuts down
on the noise of a pencil sharpener being used during class. I
would also assign a student to be in charge of sharpening the pencils in the Unsharpened

14
Pencils jar at the end of each day, to ensure that there are enough sharpened pencils available at
the start of the next day. The remainder of the
materials available for student use would be in
tubs labeled with both words and pictures. For
anything involving different colors, such as
crayons or markers or highlighters, there would be
small tubs, within a larger tub, with colored
construction paper pasted on the bottom. The
students would then have to place these materials
back with the proper color. This way students will
be able to find the exact color they are looking for
as opposed to sifting through a large tub of
colored utensils all jumbled up together.

Displaying Student Work

Putting student work on display can be a touchy one due to the fact that some students
feel uncomfortable having their work out for all to see and other students feel as though they
never have the chance to display their own work. Therefore, I would only put work on display if
the entire classs product will be displayed. I will always tell the students before they create the
product if it will be displayed or not so that they are not taken by surprise. However, I will also
give students the option to opt out of having their work displayed if it is something that truly

15
makes them feel uncomfortable and would cause them mental anguish or something of a similar
nation. In regards to actually having the works on display, I would set aside a wall or a bulletin
board with the sole purpose of displaying student work. It would be clearly labeled as the place
for student work as well as have a variety of assignments posted at one time. At the start of the
year, I would have each student create an About Me page which would be posted from the
very beginning. All of the work of the student would then be posted underneath their About
Me page so they can always find it. This can also give students a sense of pride in what they
have created. There will also be one section of the wall labeled Anonymous where students
can display work that they want displayed but without their name attached. This way more shy
students can still have their work on display without potential embarrassment associated with
other students knowing it is their work.

Substitute Teachers
Having a substitute teacher in my classroom is one of my biggest fears due to the fact that
you cannot plan for how that teacher will deal with your students. However, there are several
ways that I think would work well for ensuring that the
students still get the most out of a substitute teacher and
that the substitute teacher will feel comfortable leading in
the room. The main thing that the substitute teacher would
need to use would be the Substitute Binder. Inside the
binder, broken up into different categories by tabs, would
be the lesson plans for the day, the behavior management
plan set forth for the students, the different schedules the
school follows, contact information for myself as well as
other important people within the school (such as the
principal), and so much more. There would also be a place
for the substitute to
inform me how the day
went and what material
was actually covered during the day. This way, I would know
whether or not the students deserve a reward or a consequence
based on their behavior with the sub as well as whether or not I
need to revisit the information covered by the substitute. This
binder would then be placed within a substitute tub which
would contain additional worksheets / options for the
substitute to use. If the substitute feels uncomfortable teaching
any of the lessons that are expected to be taught, they can
select a worksheet that reviews previous information instead.

16
Within the tub, there will only be enough copies of each individual worksheet for the students in
the class so that the students do not have the potential of receiving the same worksheet more than
once throughout the year. The tub would also contain additional ideas for games, recess time,
and other ways to help the substitute to fill the day if need be.

Establishment of Group Rules and

Expectations
The most important thing about establishing rules and expectations is to do so early and
as thoroughly as possible. This means going over and over the various rules of the classroom
throughout the beginning of the school year. Establishment of these expectations will begin with
letters sent home before the school year even starts. These letters will be an introduction of my
classroom expectations to the parents, as a basic outline. Thus they will include such concepts as
what I will expect the students and parents to do when work is sent home, how I will deal with
disruptive students, and what my expectations for parents are (just as
examples). Some of these specific rules would be:

Students will bring home all assignments for their parents to

look over, even if they completed the homework assignment
in class
If a student is disruptive, they will receive a predetermined
number of warning (determined individually for students
based on discussion with the parents) before receiving a
consequence
Parents will work with me to establish appropriate
consequences for their student for repetitive behavior

In the letter, teachers would also be informed about the behavioral

chart that will be used within the classroom. When students are
acting appropriately and following directions, they can move up the
behavioral chart. However, if they are not listening or are acting in
another disruptive behavior, their clip is moved down the behavioral
chart. There will be lots of categories so that students do not feel as
though one strike moves them to an extreme consequence, but the

17
categories are not so numerous as to discourage students from feeling as though they can achieve
the top category.
When the students arrive on the first day of
school, almost the entire day will be spent
going over the rules and expectations so that
they know what to expect from then on. The
subsequent days would involve going over just
a few rules each day so that the students can
really practice those rules / expectations while
still learning other important information. The
students will also create class rules on the first
day of school so that they realize that they truly
have a say in what is expected of them. These
rules will be posted in the classroom as well as
other reminders of certain expectations, such as
the morning routine. Part of introducing the expectations will be
pointing out their location in the room so that the students know
where they need to look in order to reference an expectation (Wong, Harry K., and Rosemary T.
Wong. Pages 165 193).

Consequences for Breaking Class Rules

Minor Infractions
Minor infractions include things like talking out of turn, not listening to instructions, or
failure to comply with other basic rules of the classroom. The most basic consequence for a
minor infraction would be for the students clip to move down on their behavioral chart.
However, some students will require other interventions in order to truly prevent minor
infractions from happening again. One way to deal with these students is to write their name on
the board with three checkmarks next to it. Each time they receive a warning, a checkmark will
be erased from next to their name. When all three checkmarks are erased, they either lose a
reward or have their clip moved down a space, depending on what works best for the individual
student. For students who make the same infraction repeatedly, despite consistent reminders,
they will attend Recess Academy in order to work on the skill that they are struggling with
(MacKenzie, Robert J., and Lisa Stanzione. Pages 230 244). If the behavior still continues, the
parents of the student will be contacted in order to attempt to address the behavior both in school
and at home. The parents will also have a say in what kind of consequences they believe work
best for their students.

18
Intermediate Infractions
Intermediate infractions are those which go beyond simply not listening and delve into
the realm of preventing other students from being able to learn this could include, but is not
limited to, consistent pestering of another student, running around the room during work time, or
simply leaving the room without telling anyone. The parents would be contacted in order to
determine whether or not similar behaviors are occurring at home and how the parents are
dealing with these situations. The best possible way to
deal with these infractions, if the parents have been
unresponsive or have condoned it, is to give the
students options. For example, they can stop bothering
another student and do their work quietly at an activity
table or they can lose half of their recess time in order
to complete their assignment. The options allow the
student to self-analyze how they are acting as well as
comply without feeling embarrassed or ashamed, or
feeling as though they must continue acting in the way they did originally.

Extreme Infractions
Extreme infractions are generally those which could harm the student or others if the
behavior continues. In the instance of extreme infractions, the office will be contacted first, in
order to ensure the safety of everyone in the classroom,
and the parents would be contacted next. With extreme
infractions, parent and office involvement is key to make
sure the individual is receiving proper intervention and
consequences are doled out in a manner that most benefits
the student and the class as a whole. If a student ever did
threaten the safety of the classroom, I would have the rest
of the class line-up in the hallway outside of the
classroom and contact the next-door teacher to contact the
office. I would then make sure to keep an eye on both the
student in the room as well as the students waiting in line
outside of the classroom.

Cheating
Cheating is an issue that must be dealt with on an individual level with the students fully
understanding the consequences of their actions, but without being called out in front of the
class. Any assignment that a student cheats on will receive no credit and will not be allowed to

19
be made-up, in order to demonstrate that cheating is a serious offense and not to be tolerated. If
multiple students are caught cheating, assignments or tests will then be completed during small
group work time with me so that I can keep a close eye on the students. Though I do not expect
cheating to be a large problem in my second grade classroom, I want the students to learn the
consequences early on so that they do not consider cheating as they continue through their
schooling.

Offending / Insulting another Student

Any time that one students insults or offends another
student, the issue will be dealt with as a form of bullying,
which it is. As such, the individual who was rude will be
asked to make the choice of either apologizing in front of the
class or writing a note of apology to the other student. My
expectation is that most students will select writing the note,
rather than publicly apologizing. I will look over each and
every note of apology to check for sincerity as well as
kindness in dealing with the other student.

Professionalism in the Workplace

As with any job that I undertake, I will act professional in all manners at school and
beyond. This includes professionalism in dress, communication, and interactions with other
teachers, students, and parents.

Gossip
As a woman, most likely working with lots of other
women, I know that gossip begins to seem very
commonplace. However, I will not accept this as an
excuse and I refuse to participate in gossip, whether its
about other colleagues, students, or parents. If I overhear
others gossiping about someone, I have no problems
asking them to stop and reminding them that everyone
deserves to be treated with love and respect at all times.
Gossip does not belong in any professional setting and
that includes a school.

20
Disagreement with Colleague
If I should happen to have a disagreement with a colleague, I will not talk about said
conflict with anyone other than the other party involved. That being said, if the disagreement
becomes heated for some reason, I will make sure
to remove myself from the situation until I have had
time to cool down. I will then formally apologize to
my colleague and make sure that they understand
that I am truly sorry for the disagreement. I will
then work with my colleague until we can reach a
compromise on whatever the issue may be. If, for
some reason, the problem seems irresolvable, I
would ask that my colleague and I speak with our
principal in order to try and determine if there is a school-wide policy in place to address our
point of contention or just to receive a second opinion. However, as stated above, this session
would not be used to gossip about the colleague but simply as a way to continue civil discussion.

Disagreement with Principal

If I were to have a disagreement with the principal, I would make sure to step-back and
try to look at the situation from the principals
point of view. I would also ask for clarification
as to why a disagreement exists and try and
look into whether or not there is a policy in
place or being created that has caused the
disagreement. I promise to always respect my
principal, even if disagreements do exist, in
order to continue to work professionally with
them. If the issue seems irresolvable for some
reason, and as long as the principals view does not cause me undue harm, I will respect the
decision of the principal and continue to abide by their views, policies, and beliefs.

Room Helpers / Jobs

There will be multiple jobs for students to complete throughout their year in my
classroom and each student will complete each job at least once, if not more than that. Each job

21
will be assigned for a full week and students will
not be allowed to change their jobs. In order to
ensure equality, the job selection will occur in a
rotational manner, as opposed to being randomly
assigned. In this way, each student is guaranteed
to experience every job and they will also know
which jobs they have coming up. There will be a
few less jobs than students in the class so that if a
student who has a job is absent, another students
can fill in for the day. Each student will be given
the option of wearing a nametag with the name of their job listed on it so that they cannot
claim to forget what their job is. However, as some students may not feel comfortable doing so,
this will not be a required aspect of having a job. All of the jobs will have the approximately
same level of difficulty and there will be a few duplicates of jobs in order to ensure that this
equality occurs. Some examples of different jobs that would exist are Teacher Helper, Paper
Passer, Paper Collector, Messenger, Trash Expert, and Recycling Expert (Wolfe,
Shoshana).

Handing In Papers
When group work papers are handed in, the students will pass them forward and to the
left until they are all on the front-left students desk. The Paper Collector will then grab the
papers, alphabetize them (organize them by numbers assigned to each student which will be in
alphabetical order), and place them in the To Grade tub. When students are turning in
individually completed work, they will walk over to the teacher desk and put their paper in the
To Grade tub. This is also how students will turn in any homework, as soon as they enter the
room they will put their homework in the To Grade tub.

Activities for Early

Finishers
Students never finish activities at exactly the same time
and therefore there are various ways to inform the students about
what they can do after they have completed their initial work. The
first part will be written on the board: there will be a list of the
assignments they are expected to complete in the given time and
then the list of assignments that will be homework. They can
complete these homework assignments once they have finished
all of their classwork. If they have completed both their classwork

22
and homework, they will then be able to draw a stick out of the
Done jar and they can work on whatever that stick says. Things
that would be written on the sticks would be things along the lines
of educational computer games, reading a book, or free-writing.
Students will be allowed to return their stick and make one other
selection but they must do one of the two activity options that they
drew out of the jar. If a student feels as though they are somehow
managing to draw the same free activities constantly, they may
discuss with the teacher an alternative form of action.

Signaling the
Teacher
Getting a teachers attention generally seems to be a task that is
distracting to other students and I want to avoid this as much as possible. If
I am working with individual students at the large group table, students will
be able to take a clothespin with a number written on it and return to their
seats. They will then need to sit at their desks until I call their number.
When I call their number, they will
then be able to come to the table and
receive their individual attention. For
the rest of the time, the students will
have three cups which they keep in their desk, a red, a
yellow, and a green. During large group and smaller group
time, each student must have the green cup up on their
desk if they understand the material and are working on
the assignment. They can use the yellow cup if they are
unsure if they are completing the assignment properly or
if they do not feel as though other members of their group
are helping to contribute to the conversation. They use the
red cup if they are completely lost and have no clue what
is going on. I would visit the students with red cups first,
and then help out those students with yellow cups.

Passing out Papers

One of the jobs will be Paper Passer and their job will be to pass out all papers,
whether they are go-home papers or in-class papers. For in-class papers, the student will come up
and take the stack from me. They will then count out how many are in each row and give that

23
many papers to the students on the far-left side of the row. For go-home papers, they will collect
the stack from me and place one paper in the mailbox of each student, whether every student is
present that day or not.

Dismissals from Room

In order to leave the room, whether it is for recess, specials, or final dismissal, the
procedure will be the same. Approximately two minutes before we are supposed to leave, I will
ring a bell to get the students attention. They will know that this means to clean-up whatever
they are working on because we will be leaving soon. Approximately 1 minute prior to when we
are supposed to leave the room, I will flicker the lights on and off three times. This means that it
is time to put everything away because we are lining up. The students will then line up in
alphabetical order (based on their number system) except for the Line Leader for the week.
The Line Leader, as the name implies, will lead our line to wherever we are going.

Leaving the Room

Students who wish to leave the room, whether it
is to use the bathroom, get a drink, or something else,
must first inform me of where they are going. If I say
that they are excused, they will then move a magnet with
either their name or their number on it to the location
where they are going. When they return, they move their
magnet back to the category of in. This method makes
it easy to tell at a glance how many students are in the
classroom and what the locations of the other students
are as well. It also provides a visual so that it is easier for
me to tell if a student has been out of the room for too
long. Some of the categories that would be included on
this magnetic board would be In, Absent,
Restroom, Drinking Fountain, and Library.

There are so many ways to differentiate students and it is definitely something that needs
to be done. Differentiation allows for both lower ability and higher ability students to receive
unique assistance that allows them to achieve at their highest potential. The main strategies for
grouping in mixed-ability classrooms is as follows:

24

Compacting
Independent projects
Interest centers or interest groups
Tiered assignments
Flexible grouping
Learning centers
Varying questions
Mentorships / apprenticeships
Contracts

While all of these options are viable and encouraged to be used, there are certain strategies that
will work better with students of lower ability and certain strategies that will work better with
students of higher ability (Tomlinson, Carol A. Pages 98 106).

Students Who Need Additional Help

For those students who need additional help, flexible grouping is key. Since it is possible
for a student to be terrible at math but stellar at reading, it is not fair to keep students who need
extra help in only one subject with a group that needs extra help in all subjects. Therefore,
flexible grouping makes sure that students are able to work with the students that they are most
on the same ability with no matter the subject. Another option for students who need additional
help is interest centers or interest groups. By having students select their own groups based on
common interests, the lower ability students are able to receive a different perspectives from
those of a higher ability as well as receive additional support. The best part is that both students
now realize that they have a common interest. It is also imperative that I work one-on-one with
these students in order to make sure they are grasping the topics.

Students Who Need Additional

Challenges
Students of higher ability, or those who need an additional challenge, have a few more
options in regards to how they can be grouped. I will only talk about a couple here. Using
independent projects is a great way to differentiate for students of a higher ability because they
are able to study what they want to about a subject that they are already well-versed in. The
students generally complete a research project which allows them to delve deeper into the subject
being discussed than the rest of the class will receive. Another good grouping strategy is that of
tiered assignments. This is particularly helpful for those students who are not entirely sure which
group, higher or lower ability, they would be placed in. The students receive various levels of
questioning to answer and they answer in the one that they best fit into. If the student does not

25
know what ability level they are operating at, they can also start with the easiest questions and
move up until the question is too hard to answer any more.

Communication with Parents

One of the most important things a teacher needs to do is be in constant communication
with all parents, not just the parents of the students who get in trouble the most. In order to
ensure that I stay in constant communication, I will send home a monthly newsletter detailing
what topics were covered in the past month as well what topics will be covered in the upcoming
month. For those parents who want more consistent updates about how their child is doing, I will
attempt to email them bi-monthly so that they can be updated in between parent-teacher
conference times. I will also keep a running list of which students need to have their families
contacted more frequently in order to update the family on the students progress.

Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-Teacher conferences can be a scary time for
both parents and teachers because parents are worried that
they will hear negative things about their child and teachers
are worried that they will need to deliver negative news.
Due to the fact that I will be constantly updating the parents,
I do not think parent-teacher conferences will be nearly as
concerning or overwhelming. I will also have the students
help me prepare for the conferences by creating a portfolio
of the work that they want to make sure their parents see. I
will also use a checklist / worksheet (example displayed) to
make sure that I am able to hit all of the points necessary for
each parent-teacher conference. Another way that I would
try and improve the parent-teacher conferences and
relationships would be to make sure to follow-up with each
parent after the conference to make sure they do not have
any additional questions as well as to update them on any
progress that their student might have made since the
conference.

26

"25 Classic Quotes about Respect." Fungerms. N.p., 18 Dec. 2013. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
<http://fungerms.com/quotes-about-respect/>.
Anastasia. "Walt Disney Quote | Working Out & Eating In." Working Out Eating In. N.p., 29
July 2009. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.workingouteatingin.com/?attachment_id=2294>.
Brat, Nini. "Bulletin Boards." Pinterest. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.pinterest.com/pin/238550111487602317/>.
"Classroom Doors - Be All You Can... (Picture Heavy Post)." Kickin' It With Class. Kickin' It
With Class, 22 Sept. 2013. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
<http://kickinitwithclass.blogspot.com/2013/09/classroom-doors-be-all-you-canpicture.html>.
"Classroom Organization." All Things Katie Marie. Blog Spot, 22 Aug. 2013. Web. 18 Nov.
2014. <http://www.allthingskatiemarie.blogspot.com/2013/08/classroomorganization.html>.
"Dream Quotes Tumblr Walt Disney." Quote Everyday. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
<http%3A%2F%2Fquoteeveryday.com%2Fdream-quotes-tumblr-walt-disney%2F>.
"Eureka." Disney Classroom Supplies, Disney Classroom Decorations. Eureka School, n.d.
Web. 18 Nov. 2014. <http://www.eurekaschool.com/c-160-disneycopy.aspx>.
"Gooood Morning!" Smiling in Second Grade. Blog Spot, 15 Apr. 2012. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
<http://smilinginsecondgrade.blogspot.com/2012/04/gooood-morning.html>.
Haskins, Christina. "Disney." Pinterest. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.pinterest.com/pin/452963674995384810/>.
"I'm Done Jar 2.0!" Miss Kindergarten. N.p., 2 Sept. 2013. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.miss-kindergarten.com/2013/09/im-done-jar-20.html>.
"I'm in Complete School Mode!" Tales of a Fourth-Grade Teacher. Blog Spot, 4 Aug. 2013.
Web. 18 Nov. 2014. <http://mytalesofateacher.blogspot.com/2013/08/complete-schoolmode.html?m=1>.

Klinger, Jackie. "Bulletin Board Ideas." Pinterest. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.pinterest.com/pin/227431849907727647/>.

27
MacKenzie, Robert J., and Lisa Stanzione. Setting Limits in the Classroom: A Complete Guide to
Effective Classroom Management with a School-wide Discipline Plan. New York: Three
Rivers, 2010. Print.
"My Classroom Pictures!" The 5th Grade Spot. Blog Spot, n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
<http://the5thgradespot.blogspot.ca/p/my-classroom.html?m=1>.
"My New Behavior Reward System." A Cupcake for the Teacher. Blog Spot, 13 May 2013.
Web. 18 Nov. 2014. <http://acupcakefortheteacher.blogspot.com/2013/05/my-newbehavior-reward-system.html>.
"Organization in The Classroom." RainbowsWithinReach. N.p., 8 July 2012. Web. 18 Nov.
2014. <http://rainbowswithinreach.blogspot.com/2012/07/organization-inclassroom.html>.
"Organizing Information for Your Substitute." MPM Ideas RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.mpmschoolsupplies.com/ideas/2716/organizing-information-for-yoursubstitute/>.
"Out with the Old Word Wall, In with the New." From the Desk of Mr Foteah. Word Press, 27
Aug. 2014. Web. 18 Nov. 2014. <http://photomatt7.wordpress.com/>.
"Parent Teacher Conference Student Summary." Teachers Pay Teachers. N.p., n.d. Web. 18
Nov. 2014. <http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Parent-Teacher-ConferenceStudent-Summary-915866>.
"Quotes About Respecting Others." Quote Everyday. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
<http%3A%2F%2Fquoteeveryday.com%2Fquotes-about-respecting-others%2F>.
Reeves, Paula. "Back To School." Pinterest. Pinterest, n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.pinterest.com/pin/241716704973441231/>.
"Respecting Others Quotes." Pix For Respecting Others Quotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
<http://pixgood.com/respecting-others-quotes.html>.
Slowman. "30 Fabulous Quotes About Learning - Photography, Quotes and Wallpapers Blog."
Photography Quotes and Wallpapers Blog. N.p., 13 Aug. 2014. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
<http://slowbuddy.com/quotes/30-fabulous-quotes-about-learning/>.
"Sub Plans Resource Binder." Teach 123: Tips and Plans for Teachers. Blog Spot, n.d. Web. 18
Nov. 2014. <http://teach123-school.blogspot.com/2014/07/sub-plans-resourcebinder.html>.
"Tag Archives: Walt Disney." Inspirational Quotes Pictures Motivational Thoughts. N.p., 18
Nov. 2012. Web. 18 Nov. 2014. <http://rishikajain.com/tag/walt-disney/>.

28
"Ten Pin Linky ~ Classroom Decor!" Primary Inspired. N.p., 18 June 2013. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
<http://primaryinspired.blogspot.com/2013/06/ten-pin-linky-classroomdecor.html?m=1>.
"Thank You for Inspiring Us, Mr. Boey." Art in the Middle...school. Blog Spot, 29 Nov. 2012.
Web. 18 Nov. 2014. <http://carlisleartclass.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2012-1130T13:05:00-08:00&max-results=7&start=28&by-date=false>.
Tomlinson, Carol A. How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-ability Classrooms. Alexandria,
VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2001. Print.
Viszoki, Christy. "My Classroom Went Disney--VOTE NOW!!" WDW Radio Your Walt
Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello. Walt Disney World Radio, 17 Sept.
2011. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
Walt Disney Friendship Quotes. Quote Everyday. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
<http%3A%2F%2Fquoteeveryday.com%2Fwalt-disney-friendship-quotes%2F>.
Wang, Peggy. "29 Clever Organization Hacks For Elementary School Teachers." BuzzFeed.
BuzzFeed, 9 Aug. 2013. Web. 18 Nov. 2014. <http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/cleverorganization-hacks-for-elementary-school-teachers>.
Wolfe, Shoshana. "Classroom Jobs for All Your Student Helpers | Scholastic.com." Scholastic
Teachers. Scholastic, n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/classroom-jobs-all-your-student-helpers>.
Wong, Harry K., and Rosemary T. Wong. The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective
Teacher. Mountain View: Harry K. Wong Publications, 2009. Print.